Conner Crowell is torching the Oregon trail!

By Smith | 4/5/10

Settle down tree huggers, it’s just a figure of speech.  You can take Smokey the bear off your speed dial now. 

What I mean to say is that Crowell is on a hot streak right now.  He’s nearly cemented his position as one of the top 20 performers on the 2010 Nike Combine circuit, all but assuring him of an invite to the SPARQ championships in Oregon during June. 

“I was at the Nike camp this weekend.  I didn't do as well as I wanted to but I guess I did alright.  I think I'm going to the championship in Oregon this year for the top 20. My final (SPARQ) score was 115 but at the last one, actually, I had a 121,” said Crowell.

Taking a look at the current standings shows that a SPARQ score of 121 would place Crowell in 5^th place so far and his lower score of 115 would even be good for 12^th.  Not too shabby for a self described “laidback goofball” who likes to have fun on the field. 

When asked about his demeanor on the field, Crowell had this to say, “I really like to joke around a lot.  I like to have a lot of fun.  I'm that guy making all the jokes in practice pretty much.  I can be serious when the time comes, but I like to make jokes.  Hopefully make practice a little funner.”  He added, “It’s going to be important to me to find a coach I can just joke around with.  Kind of a father figure but a friend too.  Somebody that will be there for me but we can have a good time too.  I'm going to be spending a lot of time with them so, I want to be with people who will understand me.”

As for other traits he’s looking for in a coaching staff, he also said this, “I like when they ask more questions about how my family is doing.  That shows that it's not just me but they care about how my family is.  Mostly I care about hanging with my family and everybody else I care about. We're definitely a tight group.  My parents will have a huge role in my decision.  So I like it when they take the time to talk to my parents and tell them what they can do to develop me.  You know, it's not all about what I can do for them.  That's what I like to hear.” 

Additional factors that will weigh on his decision include the atmosphere of the school and academics, “It would depend on the area around the school.  If it's like a city or a farm place.  I kind of want to be in more of a city cause I'm a city boy.  It's pretty much a city life down here.  There are a lot of people.  I don't think I could see myself in a place that's like a huge farm and just nothing out there.  But number one will be if they have my major.  That will probably be athletic training or kinesiology.  Something along those lines. Then it would probably be the relationship I have with the coaches.  I think it just comes down to finding a place where my family will be comfortable with me going and the coaches.”

Grades shouldn’t be a problem either, “Last quarter I had a 3.2 and the first quarter it was a 3.3.  So I'm doing well with my grades.  I took the SAT and I got a 1450 on it but I'm taking it again in June.  I want to do better than that.”  He has no plans of changing that habit of getting good grades either, “I'm going to do well in the classroom.  My major can take up to 5 years to graduate so I wouldn't be surprised if I red-shirted my first year.  I think that first year will give me that extra boost in the classroom.  I don't want to red-shirt, it's not like I'm looking to.  But if I need 5 years anyway, it would only make sense.”

Often times distance from home will have an affect as well, but Crowell makes it clear that distance will not have much bearing, if any.  “I think my parents will come out to see me play anywhere.  They're both originally from Hawaii so traveling is not a big deal.  And I have a lot of family out west too so if I went to a school out west I think I'd be fine too.” 

He also has some factors related to the football program, “Maryland, Duke, & WVU say I can try running back if I want to.  That'd be cool to go both ways but as long as I can play linebacker in college.  That's my top priority.” 

Crowell is no wet behind the ears newbie at the position either, “I think I'm a well rounded player.  I have the physical ability but more importantly I have the IQ to know what's going on out on the field, what the team's running at us.  I'm going to be a 4 year varsity starter so I've seen a lot and prepared for all kinds of offenses.  I think I can fit into any scheme but I’ll probably be on the outside when I get to college.  I play the middle in high school but I'm probably going to be a little smaller than the average middle linebacker in college.  So I'll probably move to the outside.  I think I’ll be rushing the passer and dropping back into coverage.  That's what I'm best at, when I can be in space and use my speed to make plays.  And I'm a good teammate.  I care about my teammates more than I care about myself.”

Considering the comment regarding the size to play in the middle, I mentioned Ohio States starter last year is smaller than Crowell’s current measurements.  “Yeah, Rolle.  He's like 5'11, right?  He's good though.  I just think I might be best at the strong side spot.  But it's whatever the coaches want me to play really.  I think I'm going to the Ohio State spring game but I'm not sure yet.  I hope so though.  There's supposed to be like 90 thousand people there or something? That's crazy.”

Crowell has other visits planned as well, “I'm going to North Carolina this upcoming weekend and I'm going to West Virginia the next weekend.  I think I'm going to take all of my official visits.  I don't know who or where yet.  I'll just see what other offers I can get in the coming months and probably sometime in the fall I'll narrow my list down.” 

Speaking of offers, Crowell currently sits with six on the table: Ohio State, Maryland, West Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, and Connecticut.  “Maryland is recruiting me the hardest.  I talk to Coach Boykins a lot.  I call him, he sends letters, emails, you name it.  But I don’t have any favorites yet.  I just haven’t seen enough to make any comparisons or draw any conclusions yet.”

One thing’s for sure though.  Being laidback off the field does not equate to having no desire on it.  “Wherever I end up, I'm going to try my hardest and give my best.  I want a national championship wherever I go, so I'll give it all I got to get one.” 

At the rate he’s going, ‘all he’s got’ is going to take him all the way to Oregon first.  We’ll just have to wait a while longer to see if that hard work and circumstances lead Crowell back East.  Possibly not all the way back though as it sounds like Columbus, Ohio is a legitimate possible destination for Conner Crowell.

Maryland Ranking 

30. Conner Crowell
6'1", 215 / OLB / North Point
Early Projected Ranking: 5.6/

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